This invention relates to mine countermeasures. More particularly, this invention is to a system to neutralize mines on land and under water using a robotic vehicle and penetrating rods to flood and/or disrupt the explosive or firing train of a mine.
The current methods of locating and clearing mines include various systems on Avenger-class Minesweepers, Osprey-class Mine hunters, helicopter assets, divers, and marine mammals. These methods are effective; however, they stand the chance of placing people, animals and valuable national assets in unnecessary danger, especially where divers are used in clearing operations.
Some rocket propelling and mechanical systems have been used to remotely deploy and detonate elongated line charges to clear a lane across a mined area. However, these systems can be unreliable since the line charges do not always go where they are intended to and can create gaps having unexploded mines. Furthermore, handling, deploying and detonating the explosive line charges is not only hazardous but immediately alerts others to the clearing activity and may attract unwanted attention.
Thus, in accordance with this inventive concept, a need has been recognized in the state of the art for an autonomous method and system for neutralizing mines underwater, in shallow water and very shallow water adjacent a shoreline by firing penetrating rods into the mines to flood them or disrupt their firing or explosive trains.
Another object of the invention is to provide an autonomous method and system to neutralize mines by firing penetrating rods into mines.
An object of the invention is to provide a method and autonomous system to neutralize mines by flooding them and/or mechanically disrupting their explosive or firing trains.
Another object of the invention is to provide an autonomous method and system to neutralize mines in an approach lane that does not expose personnel to danger.
Another object of the invention is to provide an autonomous method and system to neutralize mines underwater that reduces the possibility of alerting others to its presence.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cost effective autonomous method and system to neutralize mines underwater that is quickly completed in a single procedure.
Another object of the invention is to provide an autonomous method and system to neutralize-mines underwater using a tracked robotic vehicle having sensors for location of mines on top of and buried in soil, sand, and marine sediment.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cost effective autonomous method and system to disable and neutralize mines underwater using a robotic vehicle firing rod-like penetrating darts through soil, sand, and/or marine sediment.
Another object of the invention is to provide an autonomous method and autonomous system to neutralize mines underwater using a robotic vehicle firing penetrating darts to disable mines and retrieving the disabled mines for inspection.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cost effective autonomous method and system to neutralize mines using liquid bipropellant in a gun mechanism firing penetrating rod-like projectiles.
Another object of the invention is to provide an autonomous method and autonomous system to neutralize mines from underwater, through shallow water, and into very shallow water without subjecting personnel to danger or creating undue noise.
These and other objects of the invention will become more readily apparent from the ensuing specification when taken in conjunction with the appended claims.
Accordingly, the present invention is to an autonomous system and method for neutralizing mines to avoid exposure of personnel to this extremely dangerous activity. A tracked crawler vehicle of the system has a sealed housing, power source, and motor driven track assemblies on opposite sides of the housing. A control/communications module in the housing has a GPS processing receiver section connected to a GPS antenna that extends upwardly to receive GPS signals and generate first control signals. A gun mechanism in the housing is connected to control/communications module and has a breech assembly connected to a gun barrel extending and aiming downwardly through a bottom side of the housing toward a surface beneath the housing. Penetrating rods in the gun mechanism are fired through the gun barrel penetrating the surface and a mine. The mine is neutralized by flooding the mine with ambient water or otherwise disrupting the firing or explosive train including detonators, detonating cord, and/or the electrical continuity of components the mine. The method calls for generating first control signals from GPS signals on a GPS antenna coupled to a GPS processing receiver section of a control/communications module and for generating second control signals from a computer of the control/communications module. The control/communications module is in a tracked crawler vehicle having a sealed housing, power source, and motors driving track assemblies on opposite sides of the housing. Connecting responsive amounts of power from the power source to the motors with a motor control unit connected to receive the first and second control signals from the control/communications module assures steering and propelling of the tracked crawler vehicle by the first control signals from the control/communications module. Locating a mine beneath a topographical surface with acoustic signals penetrating beneath the surface allows maneuvering the tracked crawler vehicle to aim a gun barrel of a gun mechanism extending through a bottom side of the housing toward the surface and the mine. Firing at least one penetrating rod through the gun barrel and penetrating the surface and the mine with the penetrating rod assures neutralizing the mine.